Does Professed Religion Moderate the Relationship Between Women’s
Domestic Power and Contraceptive Use in India?

Authors:

Federico R. León

Source:

The Open Family Studies Journal, 2011, 4, 1-8

Topic(s):

Contraception Religion Women’s empowerment

Country:

Asia
India

Published:

2011

Abstract:

Abstract: The aim of the present research was to determine whether religion moderates the relationship between women’s
domestic power and the use of family planning methods in India. It has been suggested that contraception is less
extensively used by the Muslim minority than the Hindu population because domestic power is weaker among Muslim
women. An analysis of women’s responses in the 2005-06 India National Family Health Survey data set was undertaken
to evaluate the power-contraception relationship within each of five religious groups. Women whose sterilization occurred
two or more years before the survey were excluded and age, education, work for cash, number of children, and place of
residence were statistically controlled. Women’s overall domestic power explained contraceptive use among Hindus and
Buddhists but not among Muslims, Christians, nor Sikhs; women’s overall power was measured by the sum of power
scores from four decision areas (own health, large purchases, purchases for daily needs, visits). Similar were the results
concerning the influence of women’s joint decision making about large household purchases, except that Sikhs presented
a significant relationship. The minority status hypothesis cannot explain the observed differences and no meaningful
pattern was discerned in the complex relationships observed between religion, women’s power, demographic and
socioeconomic variables, and contraceptive use. The key to understanding may be in a relevant ideological component, to
be discovered, that differentiates Hinduism/Buddhism from Islam/Christianism.

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